Burma Issues - Health

Burma's health situation is one of the worst in the world, and the continued degradation of health services over recent decades has created a public health crisis in the country. The majority of the population has no access to any health services, nor do they have access to information about disease prevention and treatment. This is not surprising considering that health spending in Burma accounts for just 4% of the national budget, while roughly ten times that amount is spent on the military. In addition, many serious diseases are widespread in Burma, including Malaria and Tuberculosis.

More than 70% of the country's population resides in areas where the risk of Malaria infection is extremely high, and each year 97,000 new cases of tuberculosis are reported. Children are especially vulnerable to these diseases, many of whom already suffer from malnutrition. A lack of education about sex and sexually transmitted diseases, combined with high rates of intravenous drug use has led to a soaring rate of HIV infection. This situation is further exacerbated by the government's policies on humanitarian aid, which are greatly restricted throughout the country.